Access of Persons with Disabilities to Education in 2018 - Report Released

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated annually on 3rd December since 1992. This year the event was hosted by Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and The Persons with Disability Unit (PWDU) in AIHRC conference hall on 11th December 2018. At the beginning Dr. Sima Samar, Director of AIHRC had a message regarding the problems persons with disabilities are facing and requested from the government to support them in all areas.

Mr. Ahmad Zia Langari, Commissioner of AIHRC, considers this celebration as one of the most important and biggest events for the country for getting attention of organizations and government about persons with disabilities. “Empowering Persons with Disabilities and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality” is the slogan for this year but with the weaknesses our government has, it is hard to cover about 5 Millions of persons with disabilities (low to high conditions) in Afghanistan.

Mr. Mahdi Tawana, Representative of Administrative Office of the President (AOP), pointed some organizations who are responsible for working for persons with disabilities and all they do is telling the rights they have but not applying them. These organs do not work according to their strategies. Beside these, government armed oppositions are adding to the number of these disabled people by making explosions or bombings. Media should focus more on showing the needs of these people and at the end he suggested to make a focal point for persons with disabilities in the Ministry of Exterior.

Mr. Shahidzada, Representative of Parliament, was very disappointed with the efforts people of Afghanistan make for the persons with disabilities and mentioned a living area made for these people in Herat province named Heaven. He said that what we say each time in such events are not implemented and wished people should wake up and help the people who were just the same as them. At the end, he suggested to celebrate this day in Arg Presidential Palace next year so that the president should focus more on this issue.

Mr. Hussain Ahmadi, Representative of Afghan Landmine Survivors’ Organization (ALSO), talked on a presentation made on the report of (Access of Persons with Disabilities to Education 2018) which was researched by ALSO with funded by financial support of Afghanistan National Education Coalition (ANEC). The report is as following:

Acknowledgement:

Afghans Landmine Survivors' Organizations (ALSO) would like to thank the Technical & Vocational Education and Training Authorities, Department of General Education of Ministry of Education for providing the necessary data for this report. Also special gratitude given to Afghanistan National Education Coalition (ANEC) for providing technical and financial support for the implementation of this report, and especial thanks to ALSO's program team for collecting and writing this report to promote disability inclusion in education sector in the country to enjoy their human rights on equal basis in Afghan society.

Access of Persons with Disabilities to Education in 2018 - Report